Sleeping Dog
by Batty Badger
Summary: Lupin's perspective on the events in the Department of Mysteries, immediately following the death of Sirius Black. Some of the lines are pulled directly from Order of the Phoenix. This is not meant as an act of plagiarism, but as a parallel. The same events are taking place, just from a different point of view.


"He can't come back, Harry," said Lupin, his voice breaking as he struggled to contain Harry. "He can't come back, because he's d -"

"HE - IS - NOT - DEAD!" roared Harry. "SIRIUS!"

Remus wasn't able to say it. The word fell away before Harry had resumed his shouting. It was a wonder that Remus was keeping Harry restrained, because while Harry was burning with rage, he felt numb and empty. He had little awareness of his surroundings, as Dumbledore swiftly rounded up most of the remaining Death Eaters. Some of the others had fled from the room, while Kingsley continued Sirius's duel with Bellatrix.

Neville had made his way to where Remus and Harry were standing. He'd evidently been hit by _tarantallegra_. Lupin cast the _finite _spell to stop Neville's furious dancing.

Lupin knew that Harry wouldn't have brought just Neville. He knew that at the very least Ron and Hermione have come as well. "Let's - let's find the others. Where are they all, Neville?" Lupin only half listened as Neville began listing off names. All he wanted to know was that none of the students had been terribly injured. He suspected they were all alive still, because neither Harry nor Neville would still be fighting had that happened. Harry would have given up the fight to protect them.

There was a loud band and a yell from behind the daïs. Kingsley hit the ground in pain as Bellatrix ran away up the steps. She deflected a spell from Dumbledore as she ran. Lupin then saw another figure running up the steps. It took a moment for him to realize - "Harry - no!" Harry had escaped him and had bolted away after Bellatrix.

Finally the life returned to Remus, in the form of crushing dread. Remus took off up the stairway after Harry. He had just lost his last remaining friend, he wouldn't lose Harry too. As he reached the door at the top of the steps, Dumbledore intercepted him and held out an arm to block the exit, then moved it to place a hand on Remus's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Remus. This fight is too dangerous for any of you. Stay here, keep guard over the Death Eaters and take care of Tonks." In his adult life, Remus had never questioned Dumbledore, and he didn't question him now. All he could do was begrudgingly nod his agreement. Dumbledore then turned back towards the low interior of the room, "Alastor, Kingsley, are you able to round up the other four students?"

Moody called back up the steps, "Aye, Albus! We'll find them."

With that, Dumbledore turned and was gone.

Upon Dumbledore's orders, Kingsley and Moody gathered themselves up to find the rest of the Harry's friends. They made their way up the steps, injured but in tact, as Lupin made his way back down. As they passed, Kingsley also placed a hand on Remus's shoulder before continuing on.

Once the others were all gone Remus made his way over to Tonks. She'd been knocked out, but whether it was from Bellatrix's curse, or simply from hitting her head on the steps, Remus couldn't be sure. All he knew was that she was breathing, which was some comfort. "Neville, would you come here?"

Neville did what was asked of him and joined Remus next to Tonks. Now that the commotion had died down, and his awareness had returned, Lupin finally noticed Neville's broken nose. "Oh, Neville I'm so sorry. Hold still. _Episkey_."

The spell quickly returned Neville's broken nose back into its proper place. "Ow!" Neville exclaimed. "Thanks. Will she be okay?" Neville asked, motioning his head to Tonks.

"It's not as easy as a broken nose I'm afraid. There's nothing I can do for her now. We'll simply have to wait. Stay with her and let me know if anything happens." From behind him, Remus heard Lucius Malfoy chuckle. Lupin couldn't prevent himself from turning around to face the small crowd of bound Death Eaters.

"Does it make you happy to see your niece in pain?"

"She is _not_ my family," Lucius said coldly. "But yes, I do take pleasure in a victory."

"Was it a victory? Before the night is over you'll be in a cell."

"Will I? No, I don't think so. The Dark Lord has been called, and he will retrieve the prophecy we came for. Or perhaps he'll just kill Potter tonight, and be done with it."

With Dumbledore present, the threat had no effect on Remus but to infuriate him. More and more the numbness that had overcome him upon Sirius's death fell away. The full moon was still over a week away, but he could feel his animalistic rage trying to claw its way to the surface. If Malfoy kept talking, Lupin wasn't sure he could restrain his anger.

"How easy it was to trick Potter into coming here. He's turned out to be just as stupid as all your old friends, Lupin. There was his father, James Potter, who trusted his greatest secret to a rat. You have the coward himself, Pettigrew, who was so easily persuaded into joining us. And of course, let's not forget the late Sirius Black, who - "

"_SILENCIO!_"

Remus turned to see Neville, arm outstretched with Tonks's wand in hand. "You shouldn't have done that, Neville," although inside, Remus was grateful for it.

"I've already snuck out of school and broke into the Ministry of Magic. I doubt it'll be the silencing spell that gets me expelled."

"Right. Well... Keep watching Tonks, then."

With nothing left to occupy his mind, Remus's eyes strayed to the archway in the center of the room. Almost cautiously he began to move toward it, as if he were expecting something to come out of the veil. He knew better, though. Once something was in, it wouldn't ever come back out.

Eventually Remus found himself right in front of the arch. He placed a hand on the stone as he studied it. The veil was both terrifying and inviting. Lucius Malfoy was right. All his friends were gone. Pettigrew was still alive, of course, but even if they both survived the inevitable war, there could be no reconciliation.

Remus truly had nothing left. He knew that Sirius, and likely James as well, would be waiting on the other side.

Remus began building up the courage to step through. Harry wouldn't understand. Harry would hate him for it. In time, though, when he got older, Harry may eventually forgive him. Or maybe Harry was on the other side by now as well. Remus had no way of knowing what was going on outside this room. From what Dumbledore and Malfoy had said, Voldemort was there within the Ministry. Dumbledore would do his best to protect Harry, but he may have been too late.

Perhaps that moment Dumbledore had taken to stop Lupin from chasing after Harry himself had been all Voldemort needed.

As he took his hand off the archway to pass through it, Remus could feel Neville watching him. Sure enough, from behind him came Neville's voice. "Professor!"

Without turning to look, Lupin replied, "Keep watching her, Neville. The Death Eaters won't cause you any more trouble tonight."

"Professor! She's waking up!"

He turned around.

"Remus?" Tonks said groggily.

"Tonks! Are you okay?"

"Head hurts, but otherwise I'm fine."

Neville held her wand out to her. "I borrowed this. Hope that's okay?"

"Yeah, of course. Thanks." She took her wand back and pushed herself up onto her feet.

"Should you be standing already?" Remus asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I told you," she said as she approached him. Once she was close to him she lowered her voice so that Neville and the trapped Death Eaters couldn't hear her speak. "Remus, what are you doing? Where are the others?"

Remus hated the question he had instantly known was coming. _Where are the others?_ How could he answer her? Sirius had been Tonks's cousin. Sirius's death would hurt her just as much as it had hurt Remus himself.

"Well, Kingsley and Moody are looking for the other students. Harry went chasing after Bellatrix, and so Dumbledore went after Harry."

"Why did Harry chase after Bellatrix? And what about Sirius?" Remus saw the realization set in. "Remus - where's Sirius?" Frantically Tonks began looking around the room. Not seeing him, she turned to Remus once again. "Where is he!?"

"I'm so sorry, Dora. He fell through. We can't get him back."

She turned to look at the veil as tears began to stream down her face.

"I'm so sorry," Remus repeated.

Tonks turned back to him. "Are you okay?" She glanced back at the archway. "What were you doing?"

"Nothing," he lied. He knew she knew what he'd been planning on doing. "I'll be fine."

A few moments later, Kingsley and Moody returned. Kingsley was carrying Hermione as a giddy Ron clung loosely to his arm. Ginny was limping down the stairs on one foot, supported between Moody and Luna.

"Luna, are you sure _you're_ okay?" Ginny was asking her.

"Yes, I think so. Thank you, though."

Neville had quickly joined his friends on the steps. "Ginny's right, Luna, you shouldn't stain yourself. I can help her down the stairs."

"If you guys think it's best, then okay," and she pulled herself out from under Ginny's arm as Neville took her place, and the battered members of the Order and Dumbledore's Army descended to the bottom of the room and sat together on the lower rows of steps.

"Come on, Remus," Tonks said to him, "we should sit down too."

"Okay."

Tonks was still crying as Remus walked her over to where the others were sitting. He could tell Ginny and Luna had both noticed it, so he shook his head at them. Ginny seemed to understand. Luna was apparently still unaware of the full situation, but kept quiet anyway.

Finally, Dumbledore, Cornelius Fudge, and a couple other ministry workers arrived. Fudge's mouth fell open stupidly upon seeing Lucius Malfoy and Macnair sitting on the floor of the room. "Dumbledore, what are they doing here? Why are they immobilized?"

"As you can see by the Death Eater masks strewn about the room, they are followers of Lord Voldemort. If you don't believe me pull up the left sleeves of their robes. You'll find that they all bear the Dark Mark." As he said this, Dumbledore crossed the room to his students. "Are you all okay?" Neville, Luna, and Ginny all nodded. "Thank goodness." Dumbledore picked up one of the larger pieces of rubble lying on the floor. He pointed at it with his wand and said, "_Portus_."

Fudge was quite agitated by this unauthorized portkey. "Dumbledore! You. Can. Not. Do. That."

Dumbledore ignored Fudge. There were more pressing matters. "Kingsley, if you would, go with the students back to the school. Tell Madam Pomfrey they are all to spend the next thirty-six hours in the hospital wing. She will have a lot of questions for you, but tell her that _I_ will explain everything shortly. Then wake Professor McGonagall and have her gather the other Head of Houses in the hospital wing to wait for me. Now, everyone grab on."

Kingsley, Neville, and Luna had to struggle to support Hermione, Ron, and Ginny, to avoid hurting them further upon landing back at Hogwarts. "Ready? One... two... three."

With that, they were gone.

"Dumbledore!" Fudge cried angrily. "Kingsley works for me! You can't send him on your personal errands!"

"Now, is there anything else that needs to be addressed?" Dumbledore mused.

"Professor," Tonks cut in, "I think perhaps Remus and I should go see Arthur and Molly. They'll want to know that their children are safe."

Remus thought he knew why she had made the suggestion. She didn't wish to be alone now, having just lost Sirius. He understood, but he didn't agree. Remus would prefer to be left to himself. "The Weasley's will know that Ginny and Ron are safe by now, thanks to their clock," Remus explained. "At the very least, I don't think we both need to go."

"No, Remus," Dumbledore said. "I agree with Dora. You should go with her." He picked up another piece of rubble and made another portkey.

"Albus! That's enough!"

"Last one, Cornelius. I promise."

Tonks took hold of the portkey.

In his adult life, Remus had never questioned Dumbledore, and he didn't question him now. He too grabbed hold of the portkey.

Dumbledore looked at each of them with somber eyes. "One... two... three."


End file.
